local-business

Google Maps and business profile: the guide for SMBs

46% of Google searches have local intent. If your business doesn't appear on Google Maps, you're losing customers every day. Step-by-step guide to claim and optimize your profile.

serpixel · 3 November 2025

Mobile screen showing Google Maps results with local businesses

Key points

46% of searches have local intent: Nearly half of all Google searches are looking for something nearby. If you don't have a Google Business Profile, you don't exist for those searches.

88% end in a visit or call within 24 hours: 88% of local mobile searches result in a store visit or a phone call within the next 24 hours.

The Local Pack captures 44% of clicks: The top 3 map results on Google (Local Pack) receive 44% of all clicks for local searches. If you're not there, your competitor takes the customers.

Photos multiply calls by 5x: Businesses with over 100 photos on their profile receive 520% more calls and 2,717% more direction requests than those without.

Google Business Profile is free: Creating and verifying a Google Business Profile costs nothing. Many SMBs still have not claimed theirs, or have it half filled in with outdated details.

When someone searches “restaurant Girona” or “solar installer Lleida” on Google, the first thing they see isn’t a list of websites. The first thing they see is a map with three featured businesses. That’s Google’s Local Pack, and it captures 44% of all clicks for local searches. If your business isn’t there, you’re handing customers to your competition.

One of the first things we check when we start working with a local business is whether their Google Maps presence is properly sorted. Often it is not, and it is the cheapest repair there is. Here is how to do it yourself, step by step.

Why Google Maps is essential for your business

The data speaks for itself:

46% of all Google searches have local intent (GoGulf study)
88% of local mobile searches end in a visit or call within 24 hours
The Local Pack (top 3 map results) captures 44% of clicks

In other words: nearly half the people searching on Google want to find something nearby. And the vast majority of them will contact or visit a business that same day. The question is: will it be yours?

What is Google Business Profile (and why is it free)

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is Google’s free tool that lets you manage how your business appears on Google Maps and in local search results. Yes, it is free. Many SMBs still do not know this.

With a well-optimized profile, your business shows up with:

Name, address, and phone number
Opening hours
Business photos
Customer reviews
Direct link to your website
Directions to your location

How to claim and verify your profile: step by step

1. Go to business.google.com

2. Search for your business

Type the exact name of your business. If a listing already exists (Google often creates them automatically), claim it. If it doesn’t appear, create it from scratch.

3. Fill in the basic information

Business name: Must be your exact legal name. Do not add keywords: “Puig Carpentry, Best Carpentry in Girona” is wrong and Google can penalise it.
Primary category: Choose the most precise one. This carries the most weight in rankings.
Secondary categories: Add 2-3 relevant ones.
Address: Exactly as it appears on your official documents.
Phone: Your main business number.
Website: Your website URL (this link is a direct SEO signal).

4. Verify your business

Google needs to confirm you’re the real owner. Verification methods include:

Phone call (fastest, takes minutes)
Postcard by mail (takes 5-14 days)
Email (available for some businesses)
Video (Google may request a video of your business)

5. Optimize the description

You have 750 characters to explain what your business does. Use them all. Include:

What you offer exactly
Where you’re located (city, region)
What makes you different
If you serve the Catalan market, write in Catalan too to match Catalan-language searches

The 3 factors that determine your map ranking

Google uses three main criteria to decide which businesses appear in the Local Pack:

1. Relevance

How closely your profile matches what the user is searching for. Your categories, description, and website content all influence this.

2. Distance

How close you are to the person searching. You can’t control this, but you can optimize everything else.

3. Prominence

How “well-known” your business is online. This includes reviews, citations (mentions of your business on other websites), and the quality of your website. A fast, well-optimized website directly helps your Maps positioning, because Google uses it to confirm what the profile says.

Photos: the factor everyone ignores

This stat will surprise you: businesses with over 100 photos on their profile receive 520% more calls and 2,717% more direction requests. Yes, you read that right.

What to upload:

Exterior of your business (helps customers find you)
Interior (builds trust)
Products or services in action
Your team at work
Customer photos (with permission)

Upload new photos every week. Google values this.

Reviews: the currency of local SEO

Reviews are one of the most important ranking factors. The basic rules:

Minimum 4.0 stars average
Goal: 1 new review per week at minimum
Respond to every review, positive and negative
Ask satisfied customers for reviews right after service
Send them the direct link (you’ll find it in your Google Business Profile dashboard)

Negative reviews aren’t the end of the world. A professional, empathetic response demonstrates maturity and often convinces more than 10 five-star reviews.

NAP consistency: an error that costs rankings

NAP stands for Name, Address, Phone. Your name, address, and phone number must be identical everywhere:

Your own website
Google Business Profile
Yellow Pages
Local directories
Social media profiles

If one place says “C/ Major, 15” and another says “Carrer Major 15,” Google can’t tell if it’s the same business. That inconsistency hurts your rankings.

Posts and Q&A: the features nobody uses

Google Business Profile lets you publish posts (updates, offers, events) directly on your listing. Most businesses never do this. That gives you a competitive edge because:

You signal to Google that the business is active
You provide additional information to potential customers
You can highlight offers or news

You can also create questions and answers in the Q&A section. The trick: do it yourself. Publish the most common questions your customers ask and answer them. This way you control the narrative and help potential customers.

Connect your profile to your website

The link from Google Business Profile to your website is a direct SEO signal. But the link alone isn’t enough: your website needs to be fast, mobile-friendly, and have relevant content.

At serpixel we build static websites with Astro, which load fast without depending on optimisation plugins, and content and rank tracking run on an agreed cadence. A fast website that stays consistent with the profile reinforces the signal Google Maps receives from your business.

Bonus tip: write in Catalan

Here’s the advice nobody gives you: use Catalan in your business description and Google Business Profile posts. Why? Because when someone searches “fuster Girona” in Catalan, Google prioritizes results that match the search language. If your profile includes Catalan, you have an advantage over competitors who only write in Spanish.

Start today: quick checklist

Claim or create your listing at business.google.com
Verify your business
Fill in ALL fields (legal name, categories, hours, phone, website, description)
Upload at least 10 photos (and add new ones every week)
Ask your last 10 satisfied customers for reviews
Publish your first post
Check NAP consistency across all your online profiles
Connect your profile to a fast, optimized website

If you would rather we handled all of this (profile, website, content and search), the Google Business Profile is part of the same job when we build a local business’s website. Let’s talk it through in 30 minutes: we look at your current profile, see who is ahead of you on the map, and tell you what we would fix first.

Frequently asked questions

Go to business.google.com, sign in with a Google account, and search for your business. If it already exists, claim it. If not, create it from scratch. Google will ask for verification, usually via phone call or postcard. The process takes 1 to 14 days.

The business name (must match the exact legal name), primary and secondary categories, updated hours, phone number, website URL, and description (750 characters max). All these fields directly influence how Google ranks your business on the map.

The minimum goal is maintaining a 4.0-star rating or higher. Aim for at least 1 new review per week. The best strategy is to ask satisfied customers right after the service, sending them a direct link to your profile. Always respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.

Yes, very much so. Google lets you publish updates, offers, and events directly on your profile. Most businesses never do this, which gives you a competitive edge. Posts increase visibility and signal to Google that your business is active.

Yes. When we build a local business's website, the Google Business Profile is part of the same job: setting up the fields, keeping it consistent with the NAP on the site, a review strategy and posting. It is not sold as a separate package, and scope is defined in a 30-minute discovery session.